Results 2,521-2,540 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: It is the decision-making process.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006:Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I thank the Minister of State for his assistance in getting this Bill passed expeditiously. Despite the relative brevity of the debate, it is an important Bill and an important second stage in the life of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. As I said previously, the commission is working well. The Minister of State made a very important contribution to the work of the commission as...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I warmly welcome the Minister and the Bill. As was made clear to me on the Order of Business, and I do not want to be too hard on him, Senator McCarthy needs tutorials in recent economic and social history.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I do not have a script.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I have Deputy Quinn's last budget which increased child benefit from £29 to £30. I accept it is more in terms of euro. This year, we increased child benefit from €150 to €160.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: For three children one received £99 per week. Today one receives €515, which does not allow for children under the age of six who receive €1,000.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I listened to Senator McCarthy in total silence. Perhaps he will do me the same courtesy. In 1997, the general increases in social welfare were £3. I readily acknowledge it is more in euro. It was a little ahead of inflation. If it is difficult to live on €209.30, I do not know how difficult it was to live on a post-budget £67.50.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: It shows what enormous improvements were made. As for social welfare spending as a percentage of GDP, one must not lose sight of the fact that unemployment has dropped from approximately 8% to 4.5% and that will naturally reduce social welfare spending. The 1997 budget was a pre-election budget which included a package of £525 million, again it is more in euro. This year we have spending...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: If I have any reservations about this, it is that it does not seem to be extended to people who are self-employed or farmers. I make a final plea. It does not necessarily all come within the Minister's remit. Some of it may be under the remit of his colleagues. Former public sector workers who left the public sector some time ago are stuck with the terms of much more frugal pension...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I conclude by congratulating the Minister, not only on this budget but on his three-year term of office and the amount he has achieved during this period.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I did not start it.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: Like Senator Jim Walsh, I agree that the crime situation, about which we are all seriously concerned, should be neither overstated nor understated. The problem of shootings is concentrated mainly in a couple of cities. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, attended the House twice yesterday. He is a vigorous Minister. He has my confidence and I...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: Like Senator Jim Walsh, I believe the legislation that followed the Omagh bombing and the legislation to set up the Criminal Assets Bureau should be examined as possible models. That was introduced originally as a Fianna Fáil Private Members' Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: The problem in 1996 up until the unfortunate and——

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: ——tragic murder of Veronica Guerin was that the Labour Party was undermining the efforts——

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: ——of the then Minister, Nora Owen. Her budget was cut——

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: Would a church collection be better?

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: It is simply not true.

Seanad: Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Bill. Film is one of the most important cultural mediums of the present age. Given a choice between reading the book The Da Vinci Code or watching the film, many will take the easy option of watching the film. The Minister has been a strong advocate of the film industry both in terms of tax incentives and in legislation. Experience has shown there is no point supporting the...

Seanad: Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Martin Mansergh: I thank the Minister.